Another Shade of Red
by 1maginarygirl
Summary: While on patrol, the four turtles come across a man being threatened. They save him, but did he really deserve to be saved? and who was it that wanted to hurt him? and why did she want to? Raphx oc. Rated T for language and violence. Please comment. I would love to hear what you guys think
1. Chapter 1

"Another Shade of Red"

(Raphael's POV)

It was just another night on patrol for the four teenage turtles. Jumping from rooftop to rooftop, the brothers were skimming the streets and alleyways for anything suspicious or anybody in need of help. The red masked turtle, Raphael had stopped for a split second; something felt off. His brothers followed suit. He had turned around and saw a shadow, a silhouette off in the distance, and just like that, it was gone. He stood there thinking, 'Maybe it really was someone or a shadow of some sorts or maybe it was—'

"Raph." His thoughts were interrupted by his Brother Leonardo. "Raphael, what is it? Do you see something?"

He had paused a second before answering. "No, Nothing, let's just keep going." The three turtles stared at him for a second but they all continued to their nightly routine in the city.

…

(Third Person POV)

After passing a few more streets, sounds of a struggle had perked the ears of the four brothers and they hid on the rooftops observing the commotion in the alleyway below.

"Tell me! Tell me where he is now!" The voice was coming from a hooded figure holding a man against the wall who was whimpering, on the brink of crying. He was a small man dressed in nice clothes but he was clearly aged with his black hair that was noticeably dyed to cover up the grey.

"Please! Please somebody help!" The man called out trying to wriggle out of his assailant's grip but they had held a firm grip. The hooded figure stood of average height and from what the turtles could tell, an average body weight but clearly strong from the way they held the man on the wall.

Leo stood up "Alright Ninjas, we go in there and we take down him down, but stay to the shadows. And then we- Guys? Guys?" He looked around and they had already jumped down to the ground. He sighed and went down to join them.

"Alright Pal, why don't you let the innocent man go and you can pick on someone your own size." Raph said in a threatening tone.

The hooded figure's head perked up at the sound of other voices in the alley. "Innocent?" they had said in a questioning tone, then slowly turned around while still holding the whimpering man in their grip. All four of the turtle's faces were lined with shock as they saw the one threatening this man turned out to be a teenage girl. The strange girl also displayed shock on her face with the sight in front of her. "Holy shit, you guys are turtles….And ninjas? Are you guys his bodyguards or something?"

Donatello was the first to regain his composure and answered the girl in front of him. "Yes we are turtles, we aren't his bodyguards, but even so we will protect the innocent people of New York from harm." Donnie said holding his bo-staff tighter in grip.

Gritting her teeth, the girl spoke again. "Again with that word. Do you even know what innocent means?" She growled and sighed. "I don't have time for you right now" The girl spoke with a venomous tone. She then returned her focus to the man again.

"Tough because you'll have to make some." Raphael said, then lunged at the girl. She swiftly dodged his attack but had to release her hold on the man in the process. They all stood in front of her and the man had gotten away from the girl in the process.

"Dammit!" She yelled. She lifted her head and the four brothers were able to get a better view of the girl in the hood. The girl had red hair, not like a fiery red like an apple, but a soft red like a rose. She had blue eyes, not the ones that would be considered beautiful, or cold and icy, but that they were more like broken glass, eyes that have seen much pain and suffering. They also noticed how her blue eyes were also red which suggested she had been crying recently. She had a hateful and angry expression on her face. She then held out a small rod. The four turtles stood confused but then watched in awe as she pressed the button and it began to take the shape of a 6 foot, silver, scythe.

"What kind of weapon is that?" asked Leonardo.

The girl looked at the weapon with appreciation and admiration for the fine craftsmanship and answered "It was a gift."

She held her weapon and began to attack the turtles herself. It was a back and forth process for a while in this fight and it ended up being moved to the rooftop. The five were all tired covered in bruises and cuts. They stood for a moment needing to catch their breath. "Idiots! I was tracking him for three damn months and then you let him get away!" She spat at the turtles.

"What did he ever do to you?" Mikey asked the red haired girl.

"You don't even fucking know. Do you guys just go all around the city letting guilty people get away like that?" She yelled while breathing heavily.

Leonardo, Raphael, Donatello, and Michelangelo stood confused now wondering why she had actually been threatening him.

"What is he guilty of?" asked Leonardo.

"It's his fault! He's a murderer! And because of him… he's gone, they're gone." She said almost breaking down. She took a few long breaths trying her best to calm down as the five of them stood in silence pondering what to say next.

"Who are you?" Raphael asked.

The girl stood silent for a minute, she than started to move toward the edge of the roof.

"It's been fun, but i'm afraid I must be going now." She said with a bow and jumped off the roof.

Leonardo, Raphael, Donatello, and Michelangelo all moved to the edge of the building, searching down below for this mysterious girl, but it was no use because she had already disappeared into the night.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

5 Months ago-

In the early evening, after a heated argument with her parents, the 16 year old girl stormed out of her home where she, her mom, dad, and 10 year old brother resided for most of their lives. Her parents had an above average salary and they were able to live comfortably in a nice 3 bedroom apartment. Aimlessly wandering the city without a care where she would end up. She stopped suddenly and looked up with the realization that she didn't know where she was. The girl took in her surroundings and found herself in a park, she took a seat on a nearby bench. It was late in the year so it was quite cold in New York city but the cool, crisp air gave her a feeling of comfort and a chance to calm down. She took a glance at her digital watch and read the time, 10:32 PM, she had been gone for quite a long time. Thinking back to earlier, she realized how insignificant and miniscule the dispute she had with her parents was. The girl had made a big deal of something that wasn't even worth mentioning and ended up being disrespectful to her parents. Her parents were really good people who had always supported their kids. They attended every one of her karate tournaments and her brother's' soccer games. They worked five days a week and still made it home in time to put food on the table for dinner. Acknowledging her fault and unacceptable behavior, she pulled up a map on her phone and began the trek back home.

…

It wasn't until a good two hours later that the girl found herself near the familiar streets and buildings that she sees on a daily basis. A total of three firetrucks with its sirens on had passed her on her way back to her house.

'I wonder what's going on?' She thought to herself. She looked to the sky and saw smoke. Heavy smoke that wasn't too far away.

'No. No. NO NO NO!' The girl began to run as fast as she could down the street hoping and praying that it wasn't her home that is being engulfed in flames. She turned the corner only to be horrified by the sight in front of her. Police were blocking off the street to keep the people back. Firefighters were battling the tall and overwhelming flames. She dropped to her knees, numb to the pain that began to spread through her legs from the force of hitting the road, seeing that it in fact was her home that was being destroyed by those monstrous flames. Everything became blurred. The high pitched sounds of the sirens in the background became was just a small ringing in her ears. A single tear escaped her eye, unable to speak or even make a sound, she forced herself up to the nearest officer she could find.

He was making sure the crowd was out of danger and was not anywhere near this hazard. She asked him, in a very low and hoarse tone, "What happened here?"

THe man turned around to see the young girl in such distress and he told her, "THere was most likely a gas leak of sorts. We aren't able to find the cause right now…" With much reluctance, he told her the next piece of news that crushed her forever. "It looks as though there were a few people inside of the house at that time….They didn't make it out alive."

She broke. Every bone in her body ached of pain. She turned away without a response and walked off. Where? She didn't know. Just like earlier in the night she walked aimlessly into the streets of New York. The bright lights and clear sky seemed too inappropriate.

'How? How can the world keep on spinning? How can people continue on with their lives when my life had just ended?'

Her questions were left unanswered as she found herself lying in an alleyway. Her whole being was numb. Physically and emotionally, she hoped to find some solace in her sleep. Closing her eyes, the 16 year old was engulfed by the darkness of an empty sleep….


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

AUTHORS NOTE: I'm sure by now you guys have noticed that I have chosen to keep the protagonist's name a secret, but it will be revealed in this chapter so read and enjoy.

Two days. Two agonizingly, long and painful days, she waited. Two days later the flames that consumed her home had been extinguished. The authorities were not aware that she in fact was the daughter that lived in the house, she had not been taken to a hospital or a foster home; she just lived on the streets. She was able to return to her home, but it was no longer a home, it wasn't even a house; it was simply reduced to ash, although the main structure of the building remained. Years of memories, gone, and now she is searching through the pile of ash. Why? She didn't know herself, just hoping that something, anything, could be salvaged in the piles of rubble.

Every step she took make a crumbling noise on the burnt wooden boards and charred objects that used to be on shelves or a table. Hanging on the wall in the corner where the living room used to be,. There was a beautiful portrait of her and her family that had been taken a year ago by a professional photographer. She slowly strode over to the hanging frame to notice that the picture had been partially burnt, but not entirely. She took the precious photo out of the frame and that very object brought tears to her eyes that she was unable to contain. She dropped to her knees and clung to the photo as if her life depended on it. She didn't try to hold back any of the multitude of unaddressed feelings that she had been avoiding in these past few days with a complete feeling of numbness; a feeling far more powerful than a drug could ever give.

Through the sound of her uncontrollable sobs, she was able to make out a few words.

"Why? Why? WHY?! WHY?!"

She pulled the photograph away from her heaving chest and tried her best to calm down to help her vision become clear again. When she was finally able to see, she began to stroke the faces of her deceased family. Her mom, Lily; Her dad, Mason; and her little brother, Trevor. These people were her pride and joy, especially little Trevor who was only 10 years old. Most people didn't get along with their siblings at all, but that was not the case for this family. The brother and sister loved each other with all their hearts and they had a great relationship.

(First Person POV)

I continued to stare at the photo. My mind was empty, no thoughts, no 'what if scenarios', just me and the picture. Than out of the corner of my eye, I noticed something out of place. The air duct on the floor that sits by the bookshelf was popped off of where it should sit in place.

'Surely a fire wouldn't pull off the metal air duct'.

I crawled over to it and lifted it up to see that there was something inside that had been untouched by the fire. I pulled it out to see that it was a tape recorder.

'There's already a tape in there.' I pressed play and was shocked to hear the voice that came out of the device, it was Mason's voice, my father…

(shuffling noises) "Rowen. Rowen… This is your dad. I don't know where you are right now but I'm glad you're not here. It's very important that you listen to me. Your mother and I have never revealed much about our jobs because the work that we have done has been listed as classified….and more recently, illegal. I don't have much time.. I'm sure they're on their way right now. Your mother and I were employed by TCRI about four years ago because they thought our intelligence would be useful in their fields of research. These people aren't even real, they are groups of robots called the Kraang. All those doctor visits that you and Trevor have had, your mother and I thought that they were just a part of the benefits but in fact they were looking for a child with a specific set of genes that only a few in the population possess. They want those kids for a plan that will devastate the entire planet. We recently discovered that you and Trevor… you both have those genes. They have done terrible experiments on hundreds of young and innocent children. They will come for you and now that your mother and I found out, we will have to get out of here. Your mother is getting Trevor packed, you will be safe at…." Suddenly there was a sound of a door slamming open in the recording and more shuffling. My mother's' screams and my brother's sobs could be heard in the background. "It is the targets, Lily Carter, and Mason Carter that must be executed because they have discovered too much and must be executed in order to obtain the intended targets that will help the Krang complete world domination that is the intended mission of the Kraang." My father shouted back "No! I will not let you hurt my family!" He started to run towards the robotic men in an attempt to take down the ones that were threatening my family. In that short moment the sound of a gunshot rang out through the recording and seemed to climb out like it was real. My mother let out a high pitched scream and soon another shot rang out. "Grab the boy that is known as Trevor Carter that will assist the Krang in developing further research that will assist the Krang in the plan of world domination." Trevor's pleas and thrashing and protests could be heard loud and clear. "NOOOO! Mom! Dad! ROWEN HELP ME!" After his screams faded, a few robots still stayed behind "What about the other Carter child that is known as Rowen Carter that is also essential to the plan of the Kraang?" Another robot replied with "Kraang subprime has suggested a plan to replicate the subject's genes known as Trevor Carter and April O'neil's in order to further the process with the plan of the Kraang. Kraang must destroy any evidence that will be left here. This apartment that belonged to the Carter's must be incinerated."

After that the tape stopped playing, probably because the tape had reached it's recording limit. I sat there in silence with tears streaming down my face and a billion questions running through my head. Why didn't anybody ever come to help them? Why didn't they ever tell me?How could they have been murdered? Where is my brother?...Why? I looked over to the air duct to notice that there was something else in there. In it was a file. The file consisting of the names of employees of normal humans that help run TCRI. A man named Vincent Colewell seems to be the one who runs the building. They know what the Kraang are doing and they let them do it anyway. Anger seethed through my body. I stood up and wiped my face. I knew what I had to do. Trevor, I will find you, and Vincent Colewell, you will take me to him…

So what do you guys think? Am I doing good? Please comment, it will motivate me to keep writing. See you in the next chapter.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Present Day

Raph's POV

(Punch, Punch, Kick, Kick, Roundhouse) I continued to fight the punching bag as if it were a real opponent until it fell off the hook. Damn, I broke it again. It had been a few days since the fight with that mysterious red haired girl on the rooftops. Something about that night didn't sit well with me and it seems as though I'm the only one because everyone else seems to be acting normally. I walked into the living room and sat and watched Mikey as he was engrossed in a brand new video game, Leo was meditating in the dojo, and Donnie was doing whatever Donnie does in his nerd lab. The whole situation was something I hadn't experienced before; she was an actual challenge and that night left me with a number of questions. Where did she acquire those fighting skills? Was the man she threatened innocent? Why was it so personal for her to go after that man? Why…. My thoughts were interrupted when Donnie comes running out of his lab.

"Guys! Guys you have to come to the lab right now! You need to see something." Donnie quickly spits out

"Did you invent something that will make toasters also freeze bread?" Mikey asks while simultaneously playing his video game.

"No. This is about the girl. The girl on the rooftops."...

The whole room went silent as Leo, Mikey, and I followed Donnie into his lab. We all took a seat, eagerly waiting for Donnie to explain what he found.

Leo was the first to ask "Donnie, what did you find? Did you find out who she is?"

"Yes. Well. Just listen. I first identified that man that was in the alley with her. Turns out, his name is Vincent Colewell. He is one of the CEO's of the TCRI building in the city." Donnie explained.

"Whoa!" Exclaimed Mikey.

"So that man wasn't innocent! So what did the girl want with him?" I asked Donnie.

He replied to me by saying. "There's more. I also looked into the identity of the girl…. and, well….she's supposed to be dead."

"What?!" Leo, Mikey, and I yelled in confusion. There were a million questions running through my head which Donnie quickly elaborated on his out of context statement.

"Five months ago, there was an unexplained fire at an apartment. The report says it took the lives of the Carter family. Lily and her husband Mason, and their two kids, Rowen and Trevor. Look at the photo."

When we saw the picture of the family, I couldn't believe my eyes. It was the same girl in the alley that night. She had hair the color of a freshly fallen maple leaf in the Fall and glassy blue eyes that complemented her defined features. She stood next to a shorter boy with dusty brown hair and he had the same color eyes who was undeniably her brother. Both their mom and dad looked just like them.

"There's no mistake that it's the same girl. So what's the story behind the fire Don?" I asked him.

"Well there wasn't a good explanation but supposedly it was caused by a gas leak. But I looked into the reports and a gas leak wouldn't have caused that kind of fire and it wouldn't have only taken out just their house."

Leo quickly responded to Donnie. "So someone targeted the Carter's. And since Rowen was threatening Vincent Colewell, I'm betting that he had something to do with it. We need more answers. Alright team, let's go find Rowen."


End file.
